Ahead of potential retirement, Stephon Gilmore deserves to be first South Carolina football alum in Pro Football Hall of Fame

What a run it has been. Following the Minnesota Vikings’ Wildcard Weekend loss to the Los Angeles Rams, former South Carolina football star Stephon Gilmore acknowledged that he will consider retirement this offseason. The 34-year-old cornerback has been a fixture in NFL starting lineups for thirteen years.

If this is the end for Gilmore, one thing is certain: he has done enough to earn enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If and when that comes for Gilmore—barring a late but deserved selection for Sterling Sharpe, John Abraham, Bobby Bryant, Dan Reeves, or Tom Addison—he will be the first former Gamecock to find his way to Canton.

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Gilmore spent the first nine years of his professional career with the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots before bouncing around a bit the last four years with the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, and Minnesota Vikings. For many other players, one-year contracts after age 30 are indicative of a lack of high-level playing ability left in the tank. For the man known as “Gilly Lock,” it was the opposite. He kept catching on with new teams despite his age because he could still play.

Per Pro Football Reference, Gilmore is 12th on the NFL’s all-time passes deflected list—one of three Gamecocks in the top 13 along with Johnathan Joseph and Sheldon Brown—and has logged 32 career interceptions. Since 1994 (when Pro Football Reference began tracking the statistic), he’s also in the top 20 among cornerbacks in tackles.

The Rock Hill, South Carolina native turned in one of the best coverage seasons of all time in 2019. En route to his Defensive Player of the Year honor, Gilmore surrendered just 32 total receptions. He knocked away 20 passes that campaign and gave up zero touchdowns. Adding to the absurdity, Gilmore scored twice on his six interceptions, meaning that he was responsible for more points for the New England Patriots in 2019 (12) than he was responsible for surrendering (0). He earned his second All-Pro designation in a row and his third of five Pro Bowls.

The year before his DPOY win, Gilmore backed up his first All-Pro selection with an elite Super Bowl performance. Had it not been for Julian Edelman’s 10-catch explosion for the Patriots offense, Gilmore would have been the MVP. The lockdown corner knocked away three passes, tallied five tackles, forced a fumble, and sealed the victory with a red zone interception of Rams quarterback Jared Goff with about four minutes left in the game. The Patriots won their sixth title but couldn’t have done it without Gilmore.

If retirement is his next step, it’s not because Gilmore can’t play. Even as the oldest starting corner in football this season, Gilmore held his own. He was a major factor on a defense that finished the season with the second-best QBR allowed in the NFL. That type of production at age 34 isn’t normal. Hall of Fame corners like Darrelle Revis, Herb Adderly, and Lem Barney were already retired by then. Gilmore was still good enough to start for a 14-win Vikings team.

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During his South Carolina football career, Gilmore was a two-time All-American and a Freshman All-American at cornerback. He also saw some time as a wildcat quarterback and punt returner for the Gamecocks. Viewed by many as one of the best defensive backs in program history, Gilmore earned a 1st-round NFL Draft selection.

While he hasn’t decided his future plans (at least not publicly), Gilmore has nothing left to prove. Whenever he steps away, perhaps even as a first-ballot inductee, Stephon Gilmore will be a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

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